The Gamer of Remnant
by AlthosHol
Summary: Jaune Arc has always dreamed of being a Huntsmen. He dreamed of becoming a hero of legend. How will becoming The Gamer change things? Will Beacon be able to handle the new Jaune Arc? Will Jaune Arc be able to keep his abilities a secret? Does he even want to? Watch out Beacon! It's time to Level Up! Game Start! Rated M for Violence/Language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Neither The Gamer or RWBY are mine. All characters and plots within were created and are owned by the respective owners of the before mentioned properties. I am simply borrowing them for fun and seek no monetary gain from this. Any original characters or plots are mine.**_

 _ **Summary:**_ _Jaune Arc has always dreamed of being a Huntsmen. He dreamed of becoming a hero of legend. How will becoming The Gamer change things? Watch out Beacon! It's time to Level Up! Game Start!_

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Well here we are folks. The reason why I have not updated any of my other stories for the last 2 weeks or so. (More like 3 weeks, but let me have my delusions would you?). I've been obsessed with RWBY for a while now and have read a few crossover fanfics across multiple genres meshing in The Gamer's Ability. I was intrigued by the concept behind it, but it wasn't until I went looking for the English translations of "The Gamer" that I fell in love with the web comic as well._

 _I racked my brain trying to come up with ideas for a crossover story and this just kind of popped into my head and refused to leave. I mean can any of you think of a better character to suddenly have such an ability than Jaune Arc?_

 _The first person to say "Naruto" gets a Mana Arrow to the knee._

 _To those of you that are familiar with The Gamer please be aware that while I intend to stay faithful to what we know the Gamer Ability does and its limits, I intend to write my own interpretation of it. So if I happen to have my own format for how info and skills are displayed to Jaune please don't get upset. Also at the time of writing this I have only been able to find up to issue 117 translated to English so If a feature, skill, item, or ability has not been mentioned as impossible or working a specific way then I will treat it as fair play to use/tweak it to my own uses._

 _I have already made one major change that you might notice. I lowered the number of attribute points Jaune gets per level. The only thing this change does is it makes the numbers easier to manage. At least for me. It doesn't mean he is less powerful, it just means that each point is worth more and it'll force me to be a bit more careful in how Jaune allocates his points._

 _If anyone can think up a legitimate reason as to why I should stick to the 10 points per level system please let me know and I will take it into consideration. Please just keep in mind that "but that's the way it's supposed to be" is not a legitimate reason._

 _Anyways please let me know what you guys think about this._

 _I hope you all enjoy it._

 _Cheers!_

 **Chapter 1**

 **[Updated 02/06/2016]**

Jaune Arc awoke slowly, stretching his arms wide and groaning in pleasure as he felt his muscles warming up pleasantly. He kept his eyes close for the moment, just enjoying how relaxed he felt.

The sound of someone dropping a pan in the kitchen downstairs filtered into his room making him smile; one of the girls in the house was trying to cook breakfast again.

He could hear one of his little sister's laughter fill the air and felt a surge of warmth shoot through him at the sound. He just knew it was going to be a good day.

 _First day of summer. What am I going to do today?_ He asked himself as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of his mattress.

Jaune reached up to wipe the sleep from his eyes as he pondered the question.

 _Well first things first, I need to get out of this bed before Violet comes up here and decides to drag me out of it._

Jaune chuckled to himself and opened his eyes.

"Whaaa!" He yelled in surprise as he caught sight of the thing hovering in front of his face.

He immediately scooted away from the floating blue box, a small squeak of shock escaping him as he scooted too far and fell off the other side of the bed.

 _Thank god Lily didn't see that._ Jaune thought gratefully as he rubbed the back of his head. His little sister loved teasing him. He didn't really need to be providing her with even more ammo than she already had.

Once he felt the last of the pain in his head fade, he cautiously opened his eyes again. Checking to see if it was still there.

 _Yep, I wasn't seeing things_.

It was a large box about 12 inches wide, dark blue in color, and now that he was actually taking a moment to examine it he noticed that it was filled with white text.

Text that seriously made no sense to him.

 **[Welcome to A Gamer's Life]**

 **[Would You Like to Play?]**

 **[YES] or [NO]**

The yes and no options were glowing slightly brighter than the rest.

 _What is this?_ Jaune swiped at the box with his hands and watched confused as his hand passed right through it as if it wasn't there.

He stood up and tried to step around it only for it to move with him. No matter where he looked the box would shift so that it was smack dab in the middle of his face.

 _Are those buttons?_

His hand came up to hover over the yes and no choices. He could hear his Dad's voice in his head.

"Never say yes to anything unless you understand what it is you are saying yes to Jaune."

His Dad was a retired huntsmen and someone Jaune had always looked up to as a role model. Someone he trusted more than pretty much anyone else in the world. He had never seen his father shy away from anything and every time he had ignored the man's advice he had regretted it.

He then thought of his mother and what she would say.

"Jaune use your head. What's the smart thing to do?"

His mother was a warm and gentle person. The thought of the sadness he would see in her eyes if he disappointed her made Jaune want to cringe.

 _I should hit no. I have no idea what this is or what it's asking._

Those thoughts drifted through his head almost guiding his finger over to the button labeled "No", but something made Jaune hesitate. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel it telling him that this was something he'd been waiting his entire life for. This was his chance.

Chance to what, he didn't know, but the more he stared at the box the more certain the feeling became.

He'd regret it if he chose to say no to this question.

Before he could second guess himself Jaune quickly made his choice and watched as the [YES] option glowed a bright gold as his finger touched it. The light quickly engulfing his hand and traveling up to the rest of his body.

He should have been scared. He should have panicked as the light spread over the rest of his body, the sight should have terrified him and yet, for some reason, it didn't. The light was warm and comforting, he could feel it seeping into body, spreading its feeling of "rightness" to every nook and cranny, through every muscle and tendon.

In the end the sensation only lasted a few seconds and was gone as fast as it had arrived. The light faded, but in its place it left behind...energy.

That was the only word that came to mind. Jaune felt like all his muscles were tingling with the urge to move, but not in an unpleasant way.

Jaune smiled as he held his hands out in front of him and examined them as if seeing them for the first time.

 _I feel...good._ He thought.

He was broken out of his self-examination by the appearance of two more boxes.

This time he calmly read its contents without any hesitation.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By selecting yes you have gained a new skill [Gamer's Body].**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune quirked an eyebrow as he read the information on the screen.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Gamer's Body] (Passive) Lvl MAX]: A passive skill that is always active and cannot be removed.**

 **Effect: Grants the user a body that allows for them to experience the real world like a game. Any physical damage received diminishes HP, but leaves no injuries and any resulting pain is felt for only a few seconds. Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP and eliminates all negative status effects.**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune read the text stunned by what he was reading.

 _Gamer's Body…experience the real world like a game…HP….Status Effects? What does this all mean?_

Jaune understood the terms. He had played enough RPGs in his life to recognize the words, but was this implying that he, Jaune Arc, had become a game character?

While he thought about it he dismissed the boxes only for another to replace it.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By selecting yes you have gained a new skill [Gamer's Mind].**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Gamer's Mind] (Passive) [Lvl MAX]: A passive skill that is always active and cannot be removed.**

 **Effect: Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through in stressful situations. Grants acceptance of reality even when experiencing situations that seem to defy logic. Grants Immunity to psychological status effects.**

... ... ... ... ...

 _Is that why I'm not freaking out right now?_

Dismissing the additional screens Jaune went to take a seat on his bed.

What did this mean for his dream?

He only had two months before he started at Beacon Academy. He was still surprised that he had even managed to get in. The application he'd submitted and the transcripts he'd mailed in had been pretty shoddy. He'd had to forge them himself after all and a master forger he was not.

All it would take was a quick call to the combat school he'd listed as his previous school to blow his secret wide open. He hadn't had a choice, not really, not if he wanted to fulfill his dream.

His dream of becoming a huntsmen.

He'd wanted to be one for as long as he could remember. He thought of all the stories he'd heard when he was younger, stories his mom and dad used to tell him and his sisters at night before they went to bed. Stories full of adventure, excitement, and nobility.

Huntsmen and Huntresses were the people that stood as the final and strongest line of defense against a world filled to the brim with darkness. Not a metaphorical darkness, but a physical manifestation of hatred and fear that spent all of its time trying to snuff out the light of humanity. The appropriately named Creatures of Grimm. The huntsmen and huntresses used their strength to protect the weak and innocent from harm. They were looked up to as the greatest of heroes and guardians.

Jaune couldn't imagine aspiring to being anything less.

"Jaune!"

His younger sister, Lily, calling his name from downstairs snapped him from his thoughts.

"Hurry up! Mom made pancakes!"

Jaune stood up with a sigh and looked at himself in the mirror sitting over his desk.

"I'll figure this all out after I eat." Jaune promised himself.

It was only then that the significance of what his sister had said finally struck him.

 _Mom_ made pancakes…

"Oh Monty…"

# # #

"Here you go Jaune, dig in there's plenty." Jaune's mother said with a wide smile as she placed a stack of pancakes in front of him.

"Thanks Mom." Jaune said returning her smile.

His mother, Celeste Arc, was the kindest person Jaune had ever met. She had been a huntress for years before she had decided to hang up her weapons in favor of raising her children. She'd told him once that being a huntress was a dangerous job and she couldn't stomach the thought of leaving her children without their mother.

Jaune had always had a hard time picturing the petite woman as a warrior. He couldn't remember a single time when she had ever even raised her voice to him or his sisters. The thought of her wielding a weapon against evil seamed beyond ludicrous, or it would have, if it weren't for the fact that she terrified the crap out Jaune's father.

Lionel Arc had been an active huntsmen for over eighteen years and was, as far as Jaune was concerned, the strongest person in the world. Jaune spent hours every day watching his dad train out in the back of their property with his massive claymore, keeping himself in prime fighting shape in between the rare jobs he took as a retired huntsmen. The power behind his swings enough to make the trees nearby sway with just the shockwave the blade produced as it sliced through the air.

One day, after his dad had finished training, Jaune had asked him if he'd ever lost a fight to anyone.

He could still remember the serious expression on his father's face as he spoke the words that had left the young blonde reeling.

"Jaune, your mother is scary."

Jaune was sure that back then he had meant her prowess with her weapons, but right now, in this very moment, Jaune was sure he had been referring to something else altogether – her cooking.

The pancakes on Jaune's plate looked normal enough; Light, fluffy, and golden brown. To anyone else they would have been hard pressed to find a better looking pancake.

Jaune and the rest of his family, however, they knew better.

"Why are you all just staring at the food? Go ahead and eat, there's plenty." His mom said happily.

Jaune picked up his fork and knife and very slowly cut off a small bite. He would be the first. Being willing to give of himself for the good of others was what it meant to be a huntsmen after all. He would be fighting against the Creature of Grimm soon. He wouldn't back down from a challenge as simple as this.

Jaune speared his chosen morsel and brought it to his lips. A quick glance around the table saw more than a few solemn expressions being sent his way.

They were grateful for his sacrifice.

Quickly popping the food into his mouth before he could second guess himself, Jaune started to chew.

He felt it immediately…it was already starting.

Jaune continued to chew, picking up speed in an effort to get the bite down as quickly as possible.

 _Why is it taking so long!? It's a pancake! It shouldn't take this long to chew!_

Sweat had already started to pop out on his forehead.

 _Oh my Lord Monty, please let the pain stop!_

It took a few more seconds, but he finally managed to swallow all of it.

Keeping his face calm Jaune waited for the burning sensation in his mouth to subside.

 _Why for the love of everything holy does mom put chili peppers in EVERYTHING!_

Jaune put his utensils down and took a deep breath.

"Taste's great mom!" He hoped the words sounded genuine.

There was a rush of relieved sighs from everyone else at the table.

This was a normal occurrence at the Arc home whenever his mother cooked. One person would brave the first bite and let the rest know if it was survivable or not.

Honestly on a scale of 1 to 10, compared to some of the other food his mother has served him over the years, this one was a low 5. Too spicy for normal people, but something that could be endured by someone with enough experience.

He was watching the rest of his family sitting around the table digging into their own food, only a slight shudder betraying the pain they were experiencing, when another blue box appeared in front of him.

Glancing around the table he noticed that no one else seemed to notice it.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By willingly taking on the burden of Taste Tester for the good of others you have gained a new skill: [Poison Resistance].**

... ... ... ... ...

Curious and a little amused Jaune made sure no one was paying him any attention before he continued reading.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Poison Resistance] (Passive) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0%]: A passive skill that makes the user resistant to most mundane poisons and spicy foods.**

 **Effect: All damage from basic poisons and spicy foods is reduced by 1%**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune couldn't help the thrill of excitement that blossomed in his chest when he read the effect of his new skill.

 _What else can I do!?_

# # #

Jaune carefully slid out the back door and closed it behind him gently. He needed to make sure that none of his sisters, or even worse his mother, heard him.

He stayed low and silently ran over to the small building his father used as their dojo. Slipping inside he breathed a sigh of relief. No one had caught him.

The dojo itself wasn't really a dojo at all. That was just what his father called it. It was little more than a small shed where the armor and weapons kept by the Arc family were stored. There was enough room for a small mat where his father liked to run through his meditation and weapon katas, but that was about it.

Jaune walked further into the room, eyes locked on the reason he had risked his mother's "disappointed face".

Crocea Mors

The sword and shield hanging on the wall had belonged to his family for generations. His Great Grandfather had wielded them in the Great War, his Grandfather had wielded them in the Faunus Rights Revolution. His father had once claimed the sword to be over 300 years old, but despite that it still glistened and shined as if it were fresh out of the forge.

The blue and gold pummel of the sword glowed in the light provided by the single window in the opposite wall, and the unblemished white finish on the shield seemed almost mirror like.

Jaune stepped up as close as he could tracing the lines and curves of both as carefully as he could.

 _Beautiful._ He thought to himself.

He'd always been drawn to Crocea Mors, ever since his father had first told him the story behind the weapon. It had only ever been wielded by Arcs in service to the kingdom and always to protect the innocent.

His father had told him once that any Arc that had ever tried to wield the blade in anything but a righteous conflict had found themselves disarmed almost immediately.

Despite its name literally meaning Yellow Death it was rumored that Crocea Mors wouldn't allow itself to be drawn and used for any reason that was less than honorable.

The story had intrigued a young Jaune Arc, filling his mind with images of himself one day wielding such an incredible sword and shield.

He reached out to touch the blade and pulled back as a prompt appeared in front of him.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By closely examining an object and trying to memorize as much about it as possible, you have gained a new skill: [Observe].**

... ... ... ... ...

 _Yes! This looks good._

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Observe] (Passive/Active) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0% XP]: Through continuous observation, a skill to observe objects, situations, and living beings was generated allowing the user to quickly gather information. The higher the skill, the greater the data obtained.**

... ... ... ... ...

 _An active skill? How do I use this?_

Jaune had played some RPG games in the past. Mostly with friends online, so he knew that usually in the games one had to select a skill to use or assign them to a specific hot key.

Maybe he had to touch the object?

Jaune reached out a finger and gently lay it on Crocea Mors hilt. A few seconds passed with nothing happening.

 _Well that didn't work._

Jaune pulled his hand back and tried to rack his brain for another answer.

"How am I supposed to use this?" He asked out loud.

…silence…

 _Worth a shot…His mom always said, "When you need help, there is no shaming in asking, just choose the right words and…"_

Jaune's thought trailed off as an idea struck him. Could it really be that simple?

"Information."

No reaction.

" _ **Stats."**_

A blue screen appeared in front of him.

Jaune pumped his fist into the air in victory, before he read the text in front of him and realized that it wasn't information for Crocea Mors he was seeing.

... ... ... ... ...

 **NAME: JAUNE ARC**

 **CLASS: THE GAMER**

 **LEVEL: 4**

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 250/250**

 **MP (Locked): 0/0**

... ... ... ... ...

 **STR: 5 -[** **0]+**

 **END: 5 -[** **0]+**

 **AGI: 5 -[** **0]+**

 **INT: 5 -[** **0]+**

 **WIS: 5 -[** **0]+**

 **LCK: 5 -[** **0]+**

... ... ... ... ...

 **Points: 8**

 **Money: $30**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune read through everything…these were his stats…he really was a game character! He had stats and everything.

Strength, Endurance, Agility, Intelligence, Wisdom, & Luck.

If he increased these, would his abilities in the real world get stronger too? If he put points into Strength would he really get stronger?

He had 8 points to spend. Should he spend them all?

 _ABSOLUTELY!_

His finger hammered away at the button next to Strength adding 4 points to it and 4 to Endurance.

A moment later the numbers on the screen updated.

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 290/290**

 **STR: 9 -[4** **]+**

 **END: 9 -[4** **]+**

... ... ... ... ...

Hitting the [Accept] button that appeared when he'd made his choices, Jaune felt a rush of energy sweep through him and he could hardly contain the urge to yell in excitement. He could feel it. His muscles felt stronger. It was an amazing feeling. He had always considered himself average for his age in terms of strength even if he worked out to keep his body in shape. Now…

Now he felt like he could arm wrestle his dad…and win!

Ok maybe that was going too far, but he still felt like testing out just how much his strength had increased. Maybe he should hit the weights over there in the corner…

Taking a deep breath Jaune calmed himself down and dismissed the screen in front of him. He needed to focus. He had yet to finish what he had initially set out to do, testing his new limits could wait.

Focusing once again on Crocea Mors he went through what he had learned.

 _Voice commands work. Maybe I have to use the name of the skill I want to use._

" _ **Observe."**_

Another screen came up and this time Jaune just smiled as he saw that he had guessed right.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[** **Crocea Mors: Sword and Shield]**

 **The sword itself is a simple arming sword with a blue handle and a golden cross-guard. The shield is a white heater shield with gold trim, capable of collapsing down into a sheath for the sword.**

 **Sword +15 Attack**

 **Shield +15 Defense**

 **Special Bonus: +2 Strength when both are wielded together.**

... ... ... ... ...

 _Wow. The Gamer ability has turned Crocea Mors into a game item. Will this happen to everything?_ Jaune wondered.

Carefully removing both the sword and shield from the wall, Jaune shuddered as he felt a small surge rush through him similar to what he had felt when he had spent his points.

 _That must be the +2 Strength ability of Crocea Mors. This is incredible! This ability I've been given…It's made me…strong._

That realization shifted something in Jaune's mind. He felt like opportunities had opened up before him. Like the world was whispering to him. Telling him that his dream was there for the taking. He just had to reach out and grab it.

He had originally planned to just take a few practice swings with the sword he hoped to one day inherit.

But now another plan was forming in his mind.

 _I need to test myself. I'm going to beacon in just a few months. I'll embarrass myself if I go there with absolutely zero experience. I won't be going far. Just beyond the wall will be fine._

Jaune didn't stop to reconsider his options as he hit the button on the shields handle and watched it collapse down into its sheath form. Attaching it to his belt he sheathed his sword and turned to the door of the "Dojo".

He was going to be a huntsmen. Nothing could stop him now.

# # #

Making his way to the wall only took about 15 minutes at a light jog. His family's house was a bit secluded and existed right up next to the forest that framed the northern borders of his village.

Vidium was a small village situated on the outskirts of Vale. It was small farming community with a population of less than 1,200 far removed from the busy and populated residential or commercial districts. A fact his parents quite enjoyed.

The wall itself was about fifteen feet tall and had been built generations ago to stop the locals from wandering too far into the wilderness. There were other defenses in place, including a much larger wall, to stop the Grimm from entering the village further out, but the forest was large and dense so it was not unheard of for young Grimm to be found within its depths. Whether or not they spawned in the forest or found their way in from some opening was unknown. Plenty of people had gotten lost over the years and accidentally stumbled into those Grimm while trying to find their way back. The wall in front of Jaune was just a small measure put in place to prevent that.

The Grimm were actually the reason Jaune had ventured all the way to the wall in the first place. He had overheard his father talking to his mother the other night. He had mentioned that the wall patrol had spotted a handful of young boarbatusk in the area the night before last.

According to his father the village council had decided had decided to send in a small squad of wall guards to destroy the beasts. Sending in a lone hunter would be overkill and they were reluctant to waste the money the local hunters would charge, and sending the village patrol would be a waste of time. The boarbatusk posed no threat to the village at the moment, so the wall guard would take care of them during their normal rounds. That gave him a few hours to work before the guards would get to this section. They had only just started their rounds on the other side of the village.

His dad had laughed it off. Saying he would have refused the job even if they had offered. He would have felt like he was stealing from the village for charging a fee for something that would probably take him seconds to finish.

And his mom had made him promise to never accept a job for free, unless people's lives were in _immediate_ danger.

Looking down at his personal scroll to check the time, Jaune smile when he saw that he still had over an hour before his dad would return from buying groceries for the month. Plenty of time for him to finish what he had come here to do and return Crocea Mors to its proper place before anyone was any the wiser.

Glancing around quickly to make sure the village guards were nowhere to be seen Jaune unsheathed his sword and lifted the sheath expanding it back into its shield form.

Feeling the +2 strength enhancement take effect Jaune quickly made his way to the top of the wall using a nearby ladder and crouched down to peak over the edge of the railing that ran along the top.

There they were, right where his father had said they'd be. He'd been concerned that he'd have to waste time looking for them.

Boarbatusks, Three of them, about twenty yards from the wall in the middle of a large clearing just walking back and forth, noses to the ground as if they were searching for something.

 _Okay Jaune, you can do this._

A battle cry was on his lips as he prepared to leap over the edge, but he managed to swallow it at the last second.

 _Was I really going to yell out loud and give away my presence BEFORE I attacked?_ Jaune could have slapped himself for that one. He could hear his older sister Amber's voice in his head at that thought.

" _Use your head Jaune! Think before you act!"_

 _Start with using your new skill! What does dad always say is the most import part of fighting the Grimm?_

It was a question that Jaune barely had to think about before the answer popped into his head.

 _Know your enemy._

" _ **Observe."**_ He said as focused on one of the Boarbatusks.

... ... ... ... ...

 **Young Boarbatusk LV 2**

 **HP: 100/100 MP: 0**

 **Boarbatusks are large, armored, wild boar-like creatures of Grimm.**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune dismissed the screen, only to have another one pop up a moment later.

 **[Through continuous use the [Observe] skill level has increased by 1.]**

 _So I level my skills up just by using them? I guess that makes sense. People train to get stronger. They hone their normal skills. I guess game skills are the same._

Looking back at the Grimm in front of him Jaune was interested to see that each creature now had text floating above their heads. All showing the same information.

 **Lvl 2 Young Boarbatusk**

Gripping his sword and shield tighter Jaune took a deep breath and hopped over the edge of the wall falling the 15 feet to land in a crouch, the thick grass cushioning the impact.

A brief pain in his knees was all he felt as he landed, but that disappeared quickly.

It was a good thing too because the sound of his landing had been enough to alert the Grimm to his presence.

 _So much for the advantage of surprise._ Jaune scolded himself although he didn't really have much choice with his entrance. The nearest gate was a too far away and, more importantly, monitored by a single guard.

The first boarbatusk pawed at the ground with its hoof angrily before it let loose a squeal and charged at him.

Jaune knew that if this had happened the day before he was sure that the sight of the waist high Grimm charging at him full speed, its tusks pointed directly at him, would have been enough to cause him to freeze up in fear.

Now, however, instead of fear Jaune, felt a calm flow through his mind as he planted his legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and brought his shield up.

The small Grimm hit the shield a second later with a jarring crash, which shook his arms violently, and stopped dead in its tracks. It took a few steps back shaking its head in confusion.

Jaune seeing the opening wasted no time pushing forward and swinging his shield with all his strength into the face of his opponent. The impact knocking the creature over an opening Jaune was quick to capitalize on.

Jumping forward with his sword pointing straight down he drove it straight into the underside of the Grimm's jaws, the blade piercing though the beast's head and pinning it to the ground.

His first opponent jerked for a few moments before going completely still.

A notification appeared off to the side as the corpse started to disintegrate.

 **[You Have Gained 400 XP!]**

Luckily it didn't seem to require him to acknowledge it as it disappeared a few seconds after he finished reading it.

The last two boarbatusks were already charging him. Seeing this and realizing that he wasn't sure how much his strength had increased, Jaune decided not to try and block both of them at once. If they knocked him down, he doubted they'd give him a chance to get back up. Instead he collapsed his shield back down and grabbed the base of it holding it in his hand as if it were a second sword.

He watched the Grimm approach and at the last second just as they were about to hit him Jaune spun to the side and out of the way. He lashed out with his sword as the one nearest to him passed by. With a squeal the blade sank into the unprotected flesh of the boarbatusk's hind leg.

 **[Critical Strike!]**

He watched as both monsters slowed to a halt and stared at him. The one he had struck was hobbling as it dragged its leg behind it.

 _It's injured! I'll hit it once more, hopefully that will be enough!_

Unfortunately, the other Grimm decided not to cooperate with his plan and gave a mighty squeal of defiance. It immediately followed up with a small hop that sent it a few feet straight up into the air…where it started to spin…faster than should be possible.

 _What the hell!_

Jaune watched with wide eyes as the boarbatusk spun so fast that it started to blur, the moment it came back down and hit the ground it was moving towards him much faster than it had the first time around.

He barely had time to get his shield up and deployed again before the Grimm crashed into him, the impact actually forcing him to take a few steps back as he struggled to stop its advance. The Grimm continued its assault on his shield. Grinding against the metal like a saw blade.

Jaune grit his teeth as he tried to push back, but was unable to gain any traction.

The boarbatusk was slowly pushing him backwards.

His mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan of action. If the Grimm managed to pin him to the tree behind him there was no telling what would happen.

Jaune nearly fell over in surprise, when music started blaring from his pocket.

 _My Scroll!_

He recognized the ringtone. His mother was calling.

 _Sorry mom, No time to talk right now._ Jaune silently apologized.

Diving to the side quickly Jaune rolled a few feet away stopping just in time to watch as the Boarbatusk kept rolling straight passed him and into the trunk of a massive tree. His scroll going silent as he hit the ground.

Wood splintered as bark went flying everywhere like shrapnel from a bomb.

The impact seemed to have finally brought the spinning creature to a halt. It was just standing there swaying on its feet.

 _Is it stunned?_ Jaune pondered before he used the hilt of his sword to smack himself in the forehead. _Don't waste time asking questions when you should be attacking!_

Sprinting towards his opponent Jaune locked his eyes on the creature's throat.

Just before he reached the dazed beast Jaune allowed his legs to slip out from under him and went into a power slide passing just under its head with barely enough room to fit. At just the right time he thrust his blade up letting his momentum do the rest.

SLICE!

A shrill screech filled the air for a brief second before it cut off into a loud gurgle. The Boarbatusk spun in place looking for its attacker only to stumble and fall to its side. Its head barely attached to the rest of its body.

Crocea Mors' blade had cut deep.

 **[You Have Gained 400 XP!]**

Adding another kill to his list had Jaune feeling a confidence bubble up inside him that he had never felt before.

 _That was two, only one left._

A surge of excitement rushed through him. Only one more enemy to go and it was still crippled from his earlier attack.

He was doing it! He was fighting Grimm – and he was winning!

 _How should I attack this one? Its leg is useless, it hasn't moved more than a few feet since it last attacked. It's just standing there watching me._

Jaune slowly walked around the remaining boarbatusk examining it.

" _ **Observe**_ ".

... ... ... ... ...

 **Young Boarbatusk LV 2**

 **HP: 60/100 MP: 0**

 **Status: Crippling Injury**

 **Boarbatusks are large, armored, wild boar-like creatures of Grimm.**

 **Attacks: Slam / Spinning Charge**

... ... ... ... ...

 _So that level up for my [Observe] skill had more effects than just the floating info._

It was as he was considering if the Grimm was still capable of both its known attacks that he had an idea.

He needed to test his body. See if it really had changed as much as the [Gamer's Body] skill implied.

Collapsing the shield in his hand back into its sheath form he affixed it back to his waist and approached the boarbatusk lowering his sword until it was hanging next to his hip.

A position that left his torso completely exposed.

 _This is stupid._

Jaune couldn't stop the thought from echoing inside his head, but for some reason he was completely calm about what he was about to do. It would work.

 _If I know it'll work then why do I have to test it?_ He asked himself although he already knew the answer.

He had to know what it felt like to take a hit. This was as close to a controlled fight as he was likely to get with a Grimm.

This was an opportunity.

Stopping a few feet in front of the Grimm he stood calmly waiting for it to move.

Frankly he was surprised that it hadn't tried to attack already. One of its legs was useless, but there was no way that meant it wasn't still capable of moving at all.

His father had told him once that the Creatures of Grimm were compelled to kill humans whenever they saw them. He had said it was a basic instinct that they could not ignore.

But he had also said never to underestimate a Grimm.

 _But this is a "Young Boarbatusk"? It's only level 2. Should it be capable of ignoring its desire to kill me?_

As if to answer the question the Grimm suddenly screeched, almost as if it was issuing a battle cry, and threw itself at him. The sharp tusks aiming directly for is stomach.

The impact was jarring as was the flare of pain that shot through him as he felt the tusks pierce his body. The hit threw him a few feet away from where he had been standing.

Jaune lay on the ground for a second gasping for air as his body screamed at him, it hurt so much, it really was as if he had been stabbed…

But then he noticed it.

The pain was fading away. It was disappearing altogether in fact.

Only a few seconds had passed since he had first hit the ground, but Jaune quickly jumped back up patting himself down.

No wounds!

His stomach should have had two massive holes in it. He had felt the tusks stab him, yet there was nothing. Not even his clothes were damaged.

 _I really am a game character!_

" _ **Stats!"**_ Jaune called out wanting to see his health.

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 250/290**

 **MP: 0/0**

... ... ... ... ...

His HP had gone down by 40 points. That was, Jaune did a quick bit of math in his head – or at least tried to – math was never his strongest subject.

 _That one attack took 10% of my HP away…wait no closer to 15% maybe._

It was a good test.

Jaune looked down at the sword he had kept a hold on even as he had taken the hit. How much damage could he do?

Tapping the **STR** attribute in his stat window he watched as another smaller box opened. He read its contents while he kept one eye on the boarbatusk, which had returned to its previous position and was just staring at him.

... ... ... ... ...

 **Strength (STR): 9**

 **(Attack): 33 (18, +15)**

 **(Carry Weight): 180**

... ... ... ... ...

So his strength controlled his attack damage?

 _What does the (18, +15) mean…Oh I get it._ Jaune felt proud of himself for a moment. _Crocea Mors sword had a modifier on it. It said: +15 attack. That must be what this is._

That would make each attack he dealt deliver 33 points of damage.

 _Wait a second though. I killed both those Grimm with one blow. They had 100 HP each – Does that mean WHERE I attack also matters?_

That made sense he supposed. He had a Game Character's body, but the Grimm existed in the real world and had to obey its rules. If he hit a critical spot, like the brain or heart, death would be almost instantaneous.

 _That actually makes this easier._

Dismissing his stat screen Jaune eyed his enemy once more. He needed to finish it and get home.

 _I wonder if I have any additional attacks_. _So far I've only been slashing and stabbing. Let's try something else. Something new._

Jaune got himself into a stance that he felt appropriate for what he was about to do. One foot back and braced. Knees slightly bent. Sword pointing down at an angle behind him.

He took a deep breath and kicked off as fast as he could expelling the air in his lungs all at once. He dashed towards his enemy as fast as he could.

His movement seemed to startle the boarbatusk as it took a few steps away from him.

But it was too slow.

Jaune reached it a second later and without slowing down he passed by the creature's side and brought Crocea Mors up in a diagonal slash cutting through the beast's soft underbelly and sides with little resistance.

He slid to a halt just beyond it, his sword pointing straight out in front of him.

 _Action pose!_

Jaune couldn't help it. He grinned. He'd always wanted to try one out. Just to see how it felt.

 **[You Have Gained 400 XP!]**

The notification popped up on the screen even as he heard the creature fall behind him.

He smiled in victory only to find his eyes widen as more and more boxes started appearing on his screen.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By performing a basic attack with your sword you have gained a new skill: [Slash].**

 **[Slash] (Active) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0% XP]: A Normal strike using a bladed weapon.**

 **Effect: .2% chance of a critical strike.**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By performing a basic attack with your sword you have gained a new skill: [Impale].**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Impale] (Active) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0% XP]: A Normal strike using a bladed weapon.**

 **Effect: 10 pts of bleed damage per second.**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By performing a special attack with your sword you have gained a new skill: [Dash].**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Dash] (Active) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0% XP]: A slicing attack utilizing the gamer's speed to deliver an augmented attack with a bladed weapon. +100% Attack Damage**

... ... ... ... ...

 _Wow three new skills at once!_ I wonder how I…

 **[Your Level Has Increased by One!]**

Jaune read the newest notification and sheathed his sword with a grunt of satisfaction.

That would put him at level 5. If he was understanding the mechanics right he figured that would give him a few extra attribute points to spend on his character stats.

 _I already put the majority of my first set of points into Strength and Endurance. Should I keep doing that? It might help to focus on power and defense equally. Who knows how strong I might be able to become? I wonder if I could convince dad to train with me a bit…_

" **Sta –** Aaah! _"_ Jaune gave a yelp as the ground underneath him suddenly lurched. He was barely able to keep his footing as the grass around him started shifting _._

 _What's going on!?_

 **[A boss has appeared!]**

"Oh come on! What does that mean!?" Jaune yelled in frustration just as a deafening explosion of rock and dirt caught him by surprise and threw him to the ground.

He lay there dazed for a moment, his ears ringing loudly.

 **[You have been stunned for 5 seconds!]**

He could barely make out the words floating into view.

 _Okay just 5 seconds and I should….wow it's already fading._

As quickly as the disorientation had set in it disappeared. His eyes abruptly focusing again and the ringing in his ears vanishing.

 _Benefits of being a game character!_

Jaune slowly climbed to his feet. He tried to look around, but the air around him was obscured by dust.

What had that notification meant? _A boss has appeared._ Jaune squinted his eyes trying to see through the dust. This gamer ability only affected him right? There was no way…

A deep rumble filled his ears. The sound of it reminding him of the Boarbatusks he'd just fought only much deeper.

 _Please don't let it mean what I think it means._

" _ **RooOAARR!**_ _"_

A strong gust of wind whipped around him, clearing the dust and finally allowing Jaune a glimpse of the new figure that had appeared in the clearing with him.

"Woah…this is…oh boy….not good, not good at all." Jaune grimaced.

 **Lvl 20 Mature Boarbatusk**

 _Level 20! That's four times my level and ten times stronger than the monsters from earlier! How is that fair!?_

" _ **Observe!"**_

... ... ... ... ...

 **Mature Boarbatusk LV 20**

 **HP: 1000/1000 MP: 0**

 **Boarbatusks are large, armored, wild boar-like creatures of Grimm.**

... ... ... ... ...

It was a boarbatusk, the same species as the three he'd just killed, similar in basic form, but…different in almost every other way as far as he could see. This Grimm was taller than Jaune, its shoulder easily 10 feet off the ground.

Where the smaller versions had only had a small strip of armor running down their spines, the larger specimen not only had thicker armor running down it's back, but it had what looked like smooth white plate armor covering its sides and legs. He swallowed with difficultly as he examined the things defenses. Despite its armor being made of bone, Jaune imagined it to be as strong as steel.

The monster was between him and the wall, standing next to a massive hole in the ground. The forest was about 10 yards behind him.

 _That hole…it has to be a tunnel of some kind._ Jaune felt an idea spark up in his mind. _So that's why the smaller Grimm were just waiting here. They weren't just standing in this location randomly. They were waiting for this thing to show up._

Jaune shook his head and dismissed the how and why for the time being. He needed to focus on the more immediate issue of what he was going to do. He needed to come up with a plan fast. He doubted it was going to just stand there staring at him forever.

Should he do what he did with the others? He pulled his shield from his hip and expanded it. He was pretty sure he was going to need the increased strength for whatever happened next.

He didn't have much in the way of cover, but maybe if he could get to the tree line he could confuse it. Take shots at it until he could whittle its HP down.

That actually sounded like a decent plan.

He took a small step backwards, getting ready to turn and run, but that small act seemed to trigger something in the boss. It gave a mighty bellow and, with a quick jump, started to spin end over end tearing up the ground underneath it as it raced towards him.

And it was fast! Much faster than he had been expecting.

Jaune barely had time to dive out of the way with a yell of surprise, the spinning Grimm missing him by inches and slamming into the trees behind him.

Or it would be more accurate to say it slammed _through_ the trees behind him. The same trees that had managed to halt the charge of the younger boarbatusk exploded into sawdust as the Grimm cut right through them, barely slowing down as it turned in a wide ark and came right back at him. Obliterating the trees in its path as if they were made of paper.

 _Hiding's out!_ Jaune thought as he jumped to the side again narrowly avoiding the things second attack.

Jaune turned and started running off towards the wall thinking he could probably jump high enough to climb over, only to stumble to a stop after only a few steps.

He couldn't escape that way. This thing was mowing down trees with no effort at all. What if it could just crash right through the wall? Even if he got away – that would just leave it free to take the village by surprise.

There was no telling how much damage it could do before the guards managed to take it down.

 _I've got to stop it here! There had to be a way!_

But even with that conviction Jaune was at a loss on what to do. This monster was way too strong for him to take by himself.

Jaune shook his head and took a deep breath. He was allowing his fear of failure to make him nervous. That was going to get him killed. He needed to calm down.

 _Think Jaune – why is it so strong? What about it makes it too much for you to fight?_

By this point the boarbatusk had lined up on him again. He only had a few more seconds to come up with something. Trying to stop it with his shield was suicide. There was no way he was strong enough to take a hit like that. It would steam roll right through him.

It was the spinning attack! That was its advantage. If he could get it to stop spinning he might actually stand a chance at taking it out.

 _That sounds great in theory, but how do I actually do that?_ Jaune asked himself as he watched it carefully. The Grimm was barreling towards him at full speed. _Its fast…durable…strong…._

Jaune waited until the very last moment before lunging to the side, the boarbatusk buzzing right past him.

 _Wait! That's the third time I've been able to dodge out of the way of its charge…it just moves in a straight line and then makes a wide turn in order to come back at me. It can't change direction quickly once it gets moving!_

Would knowing that be enough though? The Grimm was armored all over, including on its sides. Even if he could simply dodge out of the way that would only be a temporary measure. Unless he could find a way to attack he was just going to tire himself out…

His thoughts screeched to a halt as a question occurred to him. _Can I even get tired now?_

His body was essentially that of a video game character's right? He'd only seen an HP meter and MP meter on his stats page, but MP had been at 0 out of 0 to start with. So theoretically he might not have to worry about stamina at all.

He was in decent shape for his age. He would even go so far as to say he was in great shape when compared to the average 17 year old boy, but even having said that he should have been a little winded by now with everything he's already done, but his breathing was as normal as always.

 _So can I outlast it? Even the Grimm have limits right? They are living creatures after all._

Even as he thought that he had his doubts. Yes Grimm were living creatures, but they also didn't bleed when cut and vanished like smoke within a few minutes of dying. There was no guarantee that they had any of the normal weaknesses other animals had.

But it was worth a shot. At the very least it was a way to stay alive until he could think of something else.

Another dodge moved him out of the way of another attack. The boarbatusk shooting past with what Jaune swore was an irritated roar.

 _Ha! Take that you oversized piece of bacon!_

Not wanting to just stand around Jaune started moving. Running around and keeping to the outer edges of the clearing. Always trying to keep the boarbatusk's looking at him and away from the wall.

 _Kind of defeats the purpose of all this if it plows through the wall by accident._

He kept his body low and slashed at its side with Crocea Mors whenever he could get a shot in, but each attack only resulted in a few sparks as the things natural bone armor deflected his attacks.

" _ **Observe."**_ He called out again wanting to get a read on his enemies HP.

His attacks weren't doing much. The armor was too strong. His sword was only taking slivers of health off with each hit. He'd managed three separate slashes when dodging its last few attempts to flatten him into paste. Not that it did much good.

 _HP is still at 990/1000. This thing is definitely way too strong for me._

If only his dad were here. He'd know what to –

Jaune nearly slashed himself with his own sword in his rush to slap himself in the forehead.

His scroll! He could call for help! His dad could have the wall guards there in minutes. They'd have the firepower to slow this thing down.

He quickly reached into his pants pocket to pull out his scroll, but fumbled for a moment and almost tripped over his own feet. His scroll was gone!

 _But it was there just a few minutes ago! I heard it go off right before I…_ He trailed off as he remembered dodging out of the way of the first boarbatusk's attack. Could it have fallen out during my roll?

He didn't have time to look for it. The Grimm was closing in again.

' _Time to dodge again in 3…2…_

"Oh shi – ** **SLAM**!** " Jaune let out a cry of pain as the boarbatusk crashed into him. For a moment he felt like he was flying, only to gasp in shock as his airborne body crashed into a tree. He dropped to the ground his entire body on fire.

Jaune had expected the Grimm to follow the same pattern they'd been running though for the last several minutes. It would line up on him, charge straight at him like a run-away locomotive, and fly right past him as he dodged to the side at the last second.

Had he been allowed to attend a combat prep school like signal he would have known one of the most basic of facts about Grimm: The older they are, the larger and smarter they are.

The boarbatusk had grown tired of missing its prey over and over again. So instead of simply rolling past him like it had previously it had instead come out of its spin at the last second and lashed out with its head, slamming into his shield and clipping his shoulder, flinging him away like a ragdoll.

A quick check on his stats made Jaune almost pass out.

 **HP 205/340**

That single hit had taken cost him over 100 HP! If he'd not managed to get his shield up in time it probably would have killed him!

Jaune had no time to think about it further though as the boarbatusk had turned to face him and was pawing at the dirt, the same way the younger one had right before it had attacked. This time thought Jaune was sure it was not going to use its spin attack. It was simply going to try and trample or spear him with its tusks instead.

Climbing to his feet Jaune tried to move only to stumble as he realized one of his legs had gone completely numb and was refusing to acknowledge his commands.

 **[You have taken a critical hit and sustained an injury!]**

His leg was crippled!

Jaune looked at the boarbatusk as it eyed him with malice.

Jaune pushed the urge to panic down. His mind going quiet. He had to be smart. This thing was going to kill him with its next attack if he didn't think of a way to counter it.

He couldn't dodge _._ His leg was completely useless _._ There was no way for him to hide from it _._ Could he get a hit on it?

 _Not likely. Even if I manage to get a hit on it before it gets to me, there's no way I can do enough damage to kill it before it crushed me, not with its armor covering most of its vital spots._

Maybe that was the key though Jaune's mind whispered to him in a moment of clarity. _Most_ of its vitals were covered, but not ALL of them. Its throat was vulnerable…but with its head lowered to charge he had no way of getting his blade into position to take advantage of that fact.

 _What about the eyes?_

They'd be right there in front of him, he just had to create an opening.

There was only one way he could think to do that.

Taking a deep breath Jaune hobbled backward a few steps literally dragging his unresponsive leg into position. He put his back to the tree behind him and brought his shield up bracing it against his shoulder.

 _Focus on what you intend to do. Put all of your strength into stopping it. You only need to hold it off for a few seconds._

He had to believe he had the strength to endure its hit long enough to strike back. He had no other choice.

Settling into position Jaune focused on his enemy.

"I can take anything you can dish out." His words were quiet and meant more for himself than the boarbatusk staring at him.

The box that popped up in front of him a second later startled him, but reading it immediately sent a rush of relief through his body.

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **By committing your will to holding off a superior opponent's attack you have gained a new skill: [Shield Wall].**

 **[Shield Wall] (Active) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0% XP]: A novice shield skill that requires the gamer to cease all movement and brace for a strike. +100% Defense.**

... ... ... ... ...

He had no idea what his **Defense** rating was at, but this new skill would double it. He only hoped it would be enough.

It would have to be.

The boarbatusk was charging.

" _ **Shield Wall!**_ "

Jaune saw his shield glow slightly with a bright white light and felt it…become more solid, was the only way his mind could describe it. The weight didn't change, but Jaune was sure it was heavier in some way.

 _Never mind that now! Focus! Stop it then stab for an eye. I can do this._

Just before it hit Jaune tensed up and lowered his center of gravity to better take the hit.

 **CRUNCH!**

It hurt worse than any injury Jaune could ever recall. The force behind it had sandwiched him between the other side of his shield and the tree behind him.

Jaune barely stayed conscious. His back was on fire. His arm felt like it was being ripped off. Even his teeth ached.

" **Stats!** " He gasped out as he struggled to push back against the weight and power of the large Grimm.

 **HP: 75/340**

He had survived the hit, but only barely. Even now he was taking damage. His mind filled with dread as he watched his HP slowly trickle down.

 **HP: 70/340**

 _I have to get away from it!_ He screamed in his head.

 **HP: 65/340**

He grit his teeth and gave a deep snarl as he pushed with all his might willing the boarbatusk to take even a single step back, just enough room for him to slip his sword out from where it was pinned to his chest…only to grimace as the Grimm growled and slammed a hoof down and shoved him harder into the tree. He felt the wood cave in slightly.

 **HP: 25/340**

 _I will not die here!_ He pushed again. The Grimm pushing back.

 **HP: 20/340**

Jaune's eyes were wide and his teeth flashing as he bared his teeth at the Grimm.

"Go to hell!"

 **HP: 15/340**

The Grimm responded with a snort as it dug in and pushed against his shield.

 **HP: 10/340**

Jaune closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the Grimm anymore. Instead he focused on his family. His mother and father. His sisters. He pictured them all in his mind. They were the last thing he wanted to see before…

"I'm sorry to make you all go through this again."

 **HP: 5/340**

"Get out of my way!"

A familiar voice forced his eyes open, just in time to see a purple blur slam into the Boarbatusk with enough force to send it rolling across the ground, it's body creating a deep trench in the forest floor for a good 10 yards before it rolled to a stop.

If he hadn't witnessed it himself he never would have believed what he was seeing was possible.

His savior was standing there staring at the Grimm with a wild enraged look in her eyes, clad in a simple purple sundress, wearing open toed sandals, her hair pulled back into messy ponytail…and wielding a pair of daggers each as long as her forearm.

"Mom?"

Too Be Continued….

 **Author's Note:** Please let me know what you guys think. Any suggestions for leveling and the like are welcome. I am not a game developer so I am trying to do my best with keeping The Gamer ability balanced. It would kill the story if Jaune became god like in the first few chapters.

So far the major changes I have made from the source material is that Jaune will only get 3 attribute points per level ups.

In the web comic Han Jee-Han gets 5.

I wanted to try and simplify this a bit to make it easier for myself and the others to track.

I've also added an END attribute which will contain both Defense and Vitality.

If any of you have suggestions or advice please let me know.

Please review and let me know what you guys think!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: Neither The Gamer or RWBY are mine. All characters and plots within were created and are owned by the respective owners of the before mentioned properties. I am simply borrowing them for fun and seek no monetary gain from this. Any original characters or plots are mine.**_

 _ **Summary:**_ _Jaune Arc has always dreamed of being a Huntsmen. He dreamed of becoming a hero of legend. How will becoming The Gamer change things? Watch out Beacon! It's time to Level Up! Game Start!_

 **Author's Notes:** I received a guest review that mentioned the story "The Games We Play" by rgm0005. I decided to check it out, but stopped reading after chapter 2. It's really good and I will definitely be reading it in its entirety at some point, but for now I have decided to stop reading it so I won't be influenced by it when it comes to this story. I've read other Gamer crossovers on this site, but none of the RWBY ones. I don't want to have any of my game mechanics or plot points accidently based off his. That being said if you do notice a similarity going forward please know that it is a complete coincidence.

Oh and did anyone else see Volume 3 Episode 11? OMG! The feels in this episode made me want to pull my hair out. Velvet revealed her weapon…and it was 10x better than anything I have ever created in my own head!

If you haven't seen it go check it out….but be forewarned…the episode is a roller coaster of awesomeness and despair…

…and I just got back from watching Episode 12. I don't have the words to describe how I feel right now. It's a fantastic episode in terms of its quality and emotional impact, but…I can't say anything more without spoiling it. I definitely recommend watching it if you haven't already, but prepare yourself for strong emotions.

I don't want to spoil anything for those that live under a rock and haven't seen it yet, but I believe in Destiny. I think there is more to come on that front. I won't believe that is how that question is ultimately answered. I feel like there will be more to come.

 **About the Gamer Mechanics:**

Jaune will be gaining more skills as the story progresses, and eventually some of the skills will make him OP in some respects, but my aim is to only give him skills that make sense in the world of RWBY, and that they only appear in a logical way.

He will not, for example, be fighting a powerful Grimm and suddenly have a skill created out of nowhere that allows him to fly, or create a hail of swords (Hello Emiya-san).

He will gain skills due to actions he takes, and the intentions behind those actions.

I also would like to know if anyone here happens to have any fun ideas for skills we can give Jaune, skills that make sense for someone like him to have and nothing that makes him ridiculously overpowered. The key word here to keep in mind is "Balance".

Anyways…

I also have two reviews to answer before I move on:

 **Green Gustavo** – I agree that 3 attribute points per level is better. In my effort to slow down Jaune's progression to make sure he doesn't exceed Ozpin or Qrow by the end of his first week I may have gone too far in the opposite direction. Thank you for the suggestion!

 **To My Advice Giving Spider** – Down Spider Down! Lol! That was quite the list of "suggestions". The thing I want to say here is thanks for pointing out my mistake on Han Jee-Han only getting 5 points per level and not 10. I don't know why I had that number in my head. I had to go back and double check, but sure enough you were correct. Thanks Again!

 **Chapter 2**

 _"I'm sorry to make you all go through this again."_

 _ **HP: 5/340**_

 _"Get out of my way!"_

 _A familiar voice forced his eyes open, just in time to see a purple blur slam into the Boarbatusk with enough force to send it rolling across the ground, it's body creating a deep trench in the forest floor for a good 10 yards before it rolled to a stop._

 _If he hadn't witnessed it himself he never would have believed what he was seeing was possible._

 _His savior was standing there staring at the Grimm with a wild enraged look in her eyes, clad in a simple purple sundress, wearing open toed sandals, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail…and wielding a pair of daggers each as long as her forearm._

 _"Mom?"_

Out of all the people He could imagine suddenly showing up and saving him from certain death…his _mother_ was not one of them.

"Hi sweetie. Don't worry about this okay. I'll take care of it." She spared him a brief smile, before her eyes turned cold and she turned back to the Grimm that had started to climb to its feet. "Then you and I are going to have long talk about why you're out here in the first place."

She didn't wait for a response before taking off towards the boarbatusk, her movements so quick her legs blurred as they propelled her across the space separating her from her target.

 _How is she so fast!?_

Jaune couldn't do anything but stand there and watch in awe as she systematically dismantled the massive Grimm as if it was nothing. Casually dodging its blows with such incredible grace and speed it was like she was dancing around the beast, barely side stepping whenever it tried to hit her with its tusks, only to retaliate with blows so punishing, they landed with enough force that he could feel the concussive impact of each strike even from all the way on the other side of the clearing.

 _She's not even using her weapons!_ He noticed. She was keeping both daggers clenched in a reverse grip so that their blades always pointed away from the Grimm she was...punishing.

She was just toying with it. He couldn't think of any other way to describe the fight taking place in front of him. No, not a fight. That would imply that the boarbatusk had a chance to strike back...something even his untrained eyes could see was definitely not the case.

The monster that had been so easily overwhelming him just a minute ago was now doing everything it could to flee from the small woman in front of it.

Not that it succeeded. For every step back it took his mother stepped forward the same amount and would deliver a powerful blow to the side of it's head, disorienting the beast and causing it to stumble.

It didn't take long for the boarbatusk to succumb, collapsing to the ground when the damage became too much for it to bear. It lay there struggling to rise as his mother just watched, staring at it without a trace of pity, her entire body radiating contempt.

She just stood there for a few seconds, as if trying to decide the best way to finish it off.

With all the ease of someone well versed in their use, she spun her daggers around in her hands, the blades briefly becoming nothing more than spinning wheels of silver before she brought them to bear on the Grimm with a slight flourish. Jaune couldn't help the small pang of jealousy that welled up inside him at such an incredible display of dexterity.

 _Will I ever be that good?_

His envy was quickly replaced with shock though as, quicker than his eyes could track, the daggers buried themselves up to the hilt on each side of the boarbatusk's skull.

Jaune grimaced as he watched her use the hilts as handles to lift the boarbatusk's head up off the ground, bringing its main eyes level with her own.

"This is for touching my son." Her voice was almost devoid of emotion, but he could still make out the anger that hid beneath the words.

A quick jerk of her hands was immediately followed by a sickening crack as she broke the Grimm's neck. She pulled her daggers free and let the corpse fall back to the ground with a hollow thud.

 **[You have gained 4000 XP!]**

 **[You Have Leveled Up!]**

Jaune had been on the very edge, only 5 HP left, but the moment those notifications appeared, he could feel the energy pouring back into him. He felt like a depleted battery being rapidly brought to a full charge.

A quick glance to the side at his stats screen confirmed it.

... ... ... ... ...

 **NAME: JAUNE ARC**

 **CLASS: THE GAMER**

 **LEVEL: 6**

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 390/390**

 **MP (Locked): 0/0**

... ... ... ... ...

 **STR: 9 (+ 2) = 11 -[0]+**

 **END: 9 -[0]+**

 **AGI: 5 -[0]+**

 **INT: 5 -[0]+**

 **WIS: 5 -[0]+**

 **LCK: 5 -[0]+**

... ... ... ... ...

 **Points: 6**

 **Money: 30 Lien**

... ... ... ... ...

Jaune allowed himself to sigh in relief as he slid down the tree that had been holding him up and lowered his sword and shield down to his sides finally letting his arms relax.

That had been so close. If his mom hadn't chosen that exact second to arrive…

He shuddered as his mind tried to play out the most likely outcome.

He would have died. His sisters would have had to mourn him. His mom and dad, they would have been forced to bury another child.

A coldness flooded through him as those thoughts circled around in his head like vultures. How could he have been so over confident, so stupid?

He lowered his head, until his chin was resting against his chest, and tightened his grip on Crocea Mors in an effort to stop himself from reaching up and pulling at his hair.

It wasn't until he felt a soft touch under his chin that he looked up at the woman that had approached him silently.

His mother, his savior, kneeling right in front of him giving him a look of such concern it made him want to look away in shame.

"Jaune are you okay?" She asked softly as her eyes roamed all over him, examining him for injuries.

"I'm fine Mom." Jaune was quick to try and re-assure her.

"Jaune, I saw that thing nearly crush you against a tree. There's no way you're not hurt somewhere. How's your back? Don't move, we should check..."

Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sure what to say as she continued to mutter to herself all the possible injuries he could have, from the least worrying, like cracked ribs, to the most dangerous, like a fractured spine. He tuned out her fussing as he thought about the situation he was now in.

The truth of the matter was very simple, she was absolutely right.

No normal person could have walked away from that kind of punishment without taking at least some damage.

What was he supposed to tell her?

"Ne….Ar…ay?"

He hadn't really stopped to consider what he was going to do in regards to his family. Should he try to hide his new abilities from them? Come clean and tell them everything?

 _Should I tell them?_

Don't they deserve to know the truth?

"Jau…"

 _Of course they do._ He thought to himself immediately. His family had always been there for him. No matter what he needed, no matter what he asked for, they were always there for him.

Hiding his situation from them, lying to them, was not an option for Jaune Arc.

"JAUNE!"

Her shout startled him out of the moment he was having, his head snapping back in surprise.

 ***THUNK***

"Owww." Jaune moaned in pain, rubbing the back of his head where he had slammed it into the tree.

Was Karma already paying him back for his stupidity?

The look of concern on his mom's face as she gently gripped the sides of his head made him want to hit himself even harder.

"Mom I'm fine." Jaune said trying to pull her hands off.

"Shush Jaune. I need to check you for a concussion."

He sighed quietly and complied, figuring it was best to just let her do what she wanted. He had given her enough to be concerned about with his actions. If he could alleviate any of her worry by sitting quietly and letting her do as she pleased then that is what he would do.

Once she had finished moving him around like a puppet, examining what felt like every square inch of his torso and back for wounds he knew wouldn't be there, she grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet as if he weighed nothing.

 _Had she always been this strong?_

"Come on we need to get home." She said turning away back towards the wall. She didn't bother to check and see if he was following.

 _Uh oh. Jaune_ cringed as he thought about the lecture that was likely waiting for him.

He sheathed his sword and dusted his hands off on his pants.

 _Might as well get it over with._

He was just about to follow when the lack of a familiar weight in his front pocket caused a spark in the back of his mind, an important fact making itself known.

He is scroll was missing.

"Wait I think I dropped my scroll." He called to his mom glancing around the clearing hoping to spot the small white device.

"You mean this." She said without pause, holding up his scroll as she continued to walk away, not slowing down for a second. "I picked it up off the ground when I came to check on you."

Jaune quickly caught up to her at a jog and glanced at the screen as she handed it over.

It was undamaged. Jaune let out a breath of relief. He would have hated having to replace it.

"I called you." His mom commented.

He frowned for a second. He didn't see a missed call notification...

 _Wait...During the fight with the first boarbatusks…_

His mom had called. He remembered now.

"Is that how you knew where to find me? Jaune asked.

"I called to ask you if you were going to be home for dinner, but when you answered all I could hear was the sound of Grimm screaming." She closed her eyes, likely reliving the memory. "I would recognize the squeal of a boarbatusk anywhere."

"The scroll must have accepted your call when I lost it. Probably when it hit the ground." Jaune offered.

He could tell by the way she was biting her lip that she had been scared. It was written all over her face.

"Mom I'm…" He tried to apologize, but she just continued on as if she couldn't hear him.

"I used your scroll's homing feature to track yours and just ran here as fast as I could. I was so scared…" She confessed wiping at a rogue tear that had started to make its way down her cheek.

Jaune reached out with one hand, laying it on her shoulder and using it to get her to stop and pulled her into a hug, her face burying itself into his shoulder given their height difference.

"I'm so sorry Mom. I was stupid. I wanted to test myself and I thought such a small group of Grimm would be the perfect chance. I didn't expect that last one to appear out of nowhere like that." He heard her sniffle. "I didn't mean to worry you. I promise I'll be more careful from now on."

At those word she pulled away so she could look him in the eyes. At 6'1" he was a good 7 inches taller than her.

She really was tiny now that he fought about it. How someone so small could so easily tear apart such a massive Grimm did more to prove to Jaune just how amazing huntsmen and huntresses really were, than any story his dad had ever told him.

"But why would you need to test yourself against Grimm?" She asked her eyes boring into her son's.

 _Time for the truth Jaune._

"I…I applied to Beacon." Her eyes widened. "And I was accepted."

There was complete silence between them for a moment.

"You were accepted…to Beacon." She repeated dubiously.

Jaune nodded feeling more than a little nervous under her gaze.

"Jaune you didn't even attend a combat prep-school. Why would they accept you?" She asked narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"I don't know. Maybe they really liked my entrance essay?" He offered rubbing the back of my head with a chuckle. He couldn't tell her he had forged his transcripts…could he?

One look at the hilts sticking out of the leather sheathes strapped to her forearms provided the answer.

No….No he could not.

"Hmmm…." Her lack of a reply did nothing for his nerves, but they had reached the wall by that point and Jaune distracted himself by looking at it curiously. It was over twice his height and completely solid. There was no way he was climbing over it. He had considered trying to jump over it before...maybe if he got a running start?

"Um…Mom how are we….Woah Mom!" He squealed as she lifted him up into her arms like he was a toddler. "What are you doing!?"

"Hush Jaune. I need to get us over this wall." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "And then you are going to explain to me how you managed to tank a hit from a fully mature boarbatusk, get slammed into a tree hard enough to crater the trunk, and then walk away without so much as a bruise or a scratch. All without an unlocked aura none the less."

Jaune didn't even have a chance to consider her words before they were suddenly in the air…he could only look down in amazement as they flew straight up...far higher than a human being should be capable of jumping. His awe gave way to an terror as he felt gravity start to take hold of them again.

"AHHHH!" He screamed. "Whyyyyy!?"

"Don't be such a baby!" The woman carrying him in her arms shouted back.

# # #

During the walk back Jaune tried to explain his situation to her as best he could, giving her a blow by blow of everything he had experienced since the moment he had woken up till the second she had saved his life.

She had listened quietly as he tried to explain the changes that had been made to his body, about how instead of receiving bloody injuries whenever he got hurt, he just lost HP instead.

He had even gone so far as to provide a demonstration by drawing Crocea Mor's sword and trying to slice his palm on its edge. He was actually as surprised as she was to see a shimmering red line appear on his hand. It only lasted a few seconds before fading away. His HP dropping by only 10 points.

He thought it wise to leave out the part about him allowing the boarbatusk to gore him. He doubted she would be very understanding.

"Jaune how low was your health when I found you?" She asked out of the blue as if the thought had just occurred to her.

He hesitated a little too long while trying to think up an answer that wouldn't set her off again.

Her response to that was to grab his arm and bring them both to a halt.

"How low, Jaune?" She almost hissed at him.

"5 out of 340." He told her with a sigh, looking away not wanting to see how his words would affect her.

He decided to leave out the fact that it would have likely fallen to 0 had she not arrived at the very last second. He didn't see the need to worry her any more than he already had.

"What!?" She grabbed his other arm and turned him to face her completely. "Jaune do you have to sit down? Wait you cut your hand! How much did that take?"

"Mom!" He shouted trying to grab her attention. "It's okay." He assured her gently seeing that his shout had worked to snap her out of what he was worried was going to become a panic attack. "I leveled up when you killed that boarbatusk. It brought me back up to full. You don't have to worry."

His words seemed to be enough as she she sagged in relief assured that he wasn't suddenly going to keel over dead.

She let go of his arms and ran her hands through her hair as she turned away from him. He remained silent as he let her take a moment to compose herself. It took a few seconds, but quicker than he he expected she was ready to continue.

"Jaune why were you out here in the first place?" She asked breaking the silence that had fallen over them both as they once more started down the path towards home. Their shoulders almost touching as they walked side by side.

"I wanted to test myself." He replied.

"I know, you said that already, I'm asking you why you felt the need."

That was a subject he had been thinking about ever since they had left the wall. Why had he felt the need to take on those Grimm?

Perhaps for the same reason he had chosen to let the one boarbatusk take the free hit.

"I guess I just wanted to know what I was capable of now." He told her, hoping it would be enough, by the look on her face it clearly wasn't. "Mom I want to be a huntsmen. It's what I've always wanted to be. For as long as I can remember- " He tried to explain.

"Jaune we've talked about this." She interrupted.

"No, we haven't talked about it." He replied, his voice getting a little heated. "You and dad made a decision and TOLD me what it was. I never got to make the choice myself."

"Jaune…"

"You're a huntress." Jaune pointed out to her.

"WAS a huntress." She replied immediately. "I've been retired for longer than you've been alive."

"Really?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "I think what's left of that boarbatusk back there would argue that point with you." He smiled a little when he saw a light blush on her cheeks. "Dad was a huntsmen, and Hazel –".

"Don't use your sister as an example!" She whipped her head towards him, all embarrassment from his previous words forgotten. The look in her eyes almost made him want to backtrack and apologize for bringing the subject up in the first place, but he had done that too many times in the past. He needed to get this out.

"Mom, Hazel was training to be a huntress because she wanted to make a difference!" He stated it like a fact because he knew it wasn't something she would be able to deny. His mother just turned her head away instead.

He knew the topic of his sister still pained her, but she needed to understand where he was coming from.

"I miss her too, but I can't let what happened to her stop me from being what know I was meant to be. We both know she wouldn't want that."

Jaune pulled back in surprise when she suddenly turned to stare straight into his eyes again. The fierceness he could see there reminded him of the look she had given the boarbatusk right before she had killed it.

If it had been anyone else giving him that look he might have have backed down immediately.

"Jaune I will NOT bury a second child." Her voice was tight and controlled. She was struggling.

"Mom this is my dream, Please…"

"No! This isn't open for discussion!" She yelled at him as she turned and walked away, unwilling to listen to more.

Jaune just stood there for a few seconds.

 _What am I supposed to do? Just watch her walk away?_

"No!" He shouted both in his mind and out loud at the woman with her back turned to him. "You don't get to do that!"

She froze mid step and he could see her hands twitch.

 _Is this the smart thing to do?_

"Excuse me?" Her voice drifted back to him, almost a whisper on the wind. "What did you just say?"

 _Probably not, but it's necessary._ He told himself. _Remember,_ Arcs _are not cowards._

He squared his shoulders and locked his eyes on the back of her head.

"I said…you don't get to do that." He repeated with conviction.

She turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"Young man, you'd better watch how you…"

"You don't get to decide MY future!" Jaune cut her off, glaring at her with as much defiance as he could. He hated doing it, but it was now or never. He needed to be firm. She had to know how serious he was.

Her eyes softened just a touch. Was he making progress?

"Jaune it's not about us choosing your future for you." She replied.

"Yes it is." He said as she turned to face him fully. "You might not see it that way, but that's what you're doing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mom, Beacon is THE best school for huntsmen in Vale. They produce the BEST huntsmen and huntresses of any combat academy in the kingdom." He told her, his voice rising a bit. "But they only accept a small number of candidates and most of them are 17 or 18 years old . If I don't go now, the chances of me getting in later are…"

She tried to respond, but he was quick to cut her off and continued, trying to keep up whatever momentum he had managed to build.

"I don't just want to be a huntsmen Mom; I want to be the BEST huntsmen I can possibly be. If I miss this chance I'll have to apply to a second rate combat school."

Her nose scrunched up a bit at that. She probably didn't even realize she was doing it. As a former huntress she knew how poor the quality of the other schools in Vale were.

"Mom, I'm going to be a huntsmen. I've already decided that." He made sure not to hesitate or stutter. "I just want to make sure that I'm as prepared as possible for when that day comes, but I'll train myself if I have to."

Jaune watched as his mom closed her eyes and shook her head at the mere thought of him trying to teach himself what he needed to know to be a huntsmen.

Self-training was an option for all huntsmen and huntresses. The only thing one actually needed to claim the title "Huntsmen" was a Hunter's License, and that only required passing the Huntsmen Licensing Exams. Anyone over the age of eighteen could attempt them for free.

Passing them though, that was another thing all together.

They were not easy at all, not in anyway, shape, or form. In fact, the exams only had a 60% passing rate. Jaune had almost given up when he had first read that number. It was only the statistic that he'd found on the next line that had given him the courage to keep reading.

Out of the number of people that passed, about 85% graduated from Combat Academies, and Beacon Academy had the highest success rate out of all the Four Kingdoms.

Which was why he was so desperate to get in there. He was certain his future as a huntsmen depended on it.

Now if only she would...

"I'll talk to your father about it."

Her words surprised Jaune, but he was quick to recover and give her the widest smile he could manage. His father had never been the obstacle to him going to Beacon. It had always been his mother that he knew needed to be convinced. If she was willing to let him go…

"Thank You Mom." He told her moving forward and pulling her into another hug.

"Don't thank me Jaune." She muttered. He pulled away and looked at her in confusion. "Just promise me you'll always be careful. Don't take stupid risks. Don't slack in your training." She pulled him in again and wrapped her arms around him so tight he was sure his ribs were going to crack under the strain. If that was still even possible.

"I can't lose you too sweetheart."

He wanted to promise her she wouldn't, so much so it made his heart feel like it was being squeezed in a vice, but Jaune Arc was never one to make empty promises.

Instead he just did his best to return her hug with as much of his strength as he could.

"I'll do my best Mom." He whispered _._

 _That I will promise._

# # #

Jaune's eyes had long since glazed over as he flicked his finger against the screen of his scroll for what felt like the hundredth time since he'd gotten home.

His mother had shooed him out of the kitchen the moment they walked in the door, and after everything that had happened Jaune wasn't dense enough not to recognize the dismissal for what it was.

She needed some time to herself, probably to try and process everything that had happened.

Something Jaune could relate to. He had his own issues to work through as well and a few hours of peace and quiet in his room sounded perfect.

But now he was stuck. Going in circles.

As soon as he'd flopped down on his bed he'd gone over everything in his head again. What had he done right? What had he done wrong? Had he made any really questionable decisions?

Like, for example, deciding to test out how his body handled injuries by letting himself be impaled by a Grimm.

He hid his head under a pillow and wondered if he could just stay there. He didn't really have to ever leave his room again...right?

 _No you can't hide from your own stupidity Jaune._ He thought sarcastically.

"Who asked you?" He muttered into the pillow.

 _You do realize you're talking to yourself right?_

"Shut up."

Jaune threw the pillow across the room and decided to just glare at the ceiling instead of continuing his one-sided conversation.

He couldn't make a mistake like that again. Not if he really planned on attending Beacon. He didn't want to be Jaune "The Lovable Idiot" Arc there like he was here at home.

 _I need to get better. I need to be smarter!_

Of course, he now had a simple solution that could actually make that a possibility...and all he had to do was make a choice.

He had 6 attribute points to spend thanks to the levels he'd gained while out fighting the Grimm.

The only decision he had to make was where to spend them.

He had already committed a decent number raising his strength and endurance that morning and he was definitely going to increase those again at a later date, but for now he wanted to stay away from the physical and see what he could do about the mental.

Intelligence and wisdom, which was the most important?

He had been on his scroll for hours trying to nail down a basic definition of both terms. He obviously couldn't trust himself to simply choose the best option.

If he could, he wouldn't be making this choice in the first place right?

Opinions seemed to vary on which was more important, but multiple sites had basically said the same thing if not in the exact same words.

Intelligence seemed to determine how much information a person could memorize, how fast they could learn it, and how quickly they could recall it.

Great, and definitely useful in theory, but the more he thought about it the more sure he became that it wasn't what he really needed at the moment.

Wisdom, on the other hand, now that had potential.

As far as he could tell, based on the multiple blogs he'd combed through, wisdom dictated how successful one was at properly using the knowledge one already possessed.

That actually made it...kind of obvious when he stopped to think about it.

 _What's the point of gaining new information if I won't be able to use it properly?_

He quickly put 5 of his status points into WIS before he could change his mind or start doubting his decision, leaving 1 out to throw towards INT.

... ... ... ... ...

 **NAME: JAUNE ARC**

 **CLASS: THE GAMER**

 **LEVEL: 6**

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 390/390**

 **MP (Locked): 0/0**

... ... ... ... ...

 **STR: 9 -[0]+**

 **END: 9 -[0]+**

 **AGI: 5 -[0]+**

 **INT: 6 -[0]+**

 **WIS: 10 -[0]+**

 **LCK: 5 -[0]+**

... ... ... ... ...

 **Points: 0**

 **Lien: $30**

... ... ... ... ...

The familiar rush of energy hit him as expected, but instead of being focused on his muscles like he had experienced before, he felt it all flow to a central spot right behind his eyes.

His mind, which he wouldn't have ever described as having felt foggy in the past, was suddenly "clearer". It was like clouds he'd never even realized were there had parted and let sunlight in for the first time.

 _Wisdom was definitely the way to go._

... ... ... ... ...

 **[New Skill Acquired]**

 **WIS has reached lvl 10! A new skill is now available: [Common Sense].**

... ... ... ... ...

 **[Common Sense] (Passive) [Lvl 1, EXP 0.0%]: A passive skill that most people are born with. Only those who are truly clueless would be missing this skill.**

 **Effect: Grants the ability to make obvious and relatively accurate judgments based on simple observation of a situation or facts.**

... ... ... ... ...

 _Really?_ He felt like asking the world. _You're making that a skill?_

Jaune didn't know what was sadder: the fact that [Common Sense] was a skill or that he had apparently only just now acquired it.

He sighed and shook his head more than a little put out.

 _Why does it feel like I'm being pranked by some kind of higher power._

He took a few seconds to wallow in the depression that thought caused, before giving himself a shake and focusing on the most important fact.

The fact that it was working.

His [Common Sense] was chugging away.

Already he was making connections. Coming up with ideas that made him want to repeatedly slam him his head against the wall for not thinking of them sooner.

Want to test your physical limitations? Go for a run around the village and see how long it takes to tire out.

Want to test your body to see how it handles injuries? Start small. Easily concealable cuts to the arm and legs.

Want to test your strength and speed? Grab a wooden training sword from the stock in the Dojo and practice on the training dummy dad has outback!

It was all so clear now…

 _Common sense…it really is a thing._

 **[Through continuous use the [Common Sense] skill level has increased by 1.]**

Jaune shook my head again in frustration and closed the new notifications.

What would have happened if he had gone to Beacon without making that change?

He shuddered at the thought.

He was cheating his way into a school meant for people who had already been through a minimum of four years of combat training.

 _I wouldn't have lasted a day!_

They would have figured him out the moment he asked a stupid question about something that should have been basic knowledge.

 _Unless I hit the absolute jackpot and found someone willing to help me out day one, someone who didn't mind me hanging around and was willing to put up with all my "stupid" questions..._

He snorted at that. There was no way his luck was that good.

Although now that he was thinking about how things could have gone, if he hadn't increased his stats, he couldn't help but start to question his stats in general.

When he had first opened his character screen he had been level 4 and all of his stats had started at 5. ALL of them. That seemed...wrong.

 _Shouldn't my stats have been a little more varied?_ He asked himself.

Jaune had trained a bit over the years. No real combat training, his mom had refused to allow that, but he had spent some of his free time focused on conditioning and strength training.

 _Surely that means my strength and endurance should have been higher than my intelligence and wisdom?_

Had all of his stats reset to some sort of base number when he had changed?

He hadn't felt any weaker afterwards…or dumber for that matter.

Although his bright idea of hunting down a group of Grimm to "Practice" on kind of left that last one up for debate. Were his INT and WIS higher before? At least by a little? Could their reduction explain why he had been making such stupid choices?

 **KNOCK KNOCK**

"Come in." He called to whoever was at the door without bothering to look away from his stat screen.

He heard the door open and close, before the sound of heavy footsteps clued him into the identity of his visitor.

"Jaune."

The young man in question turned his head to see his father, Lionel Arc, standing at the foot of his bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hi Dad."

"Your mother just told me a very interesting story." He said quietly, his face showing almost no expression.

For Jaune, looking at his father was like looking into a mirror, a mirror that showed you the future instead of the present.

They had all the same features; cheek bones, chin, jawline, brow and it was only the extra 5 inches of height and about forty pounds of muscle his father had on him that stopped people from mistaking them for twins, that and the sharper features in general that Jaune was sure he would gain with time.

His dad had wanted to name him Lionel Jr. when he had been born.

Thankfully his mother had nixed that idea immediately.

"So I guess she told you about my new…situation?" Jaune asked him.

"You mean the fact that, somehow you are now a "Game Character"." He replied back actually making air quotes with his fingers.

"Yeah…well." He honestly had no idea what else to say.

"Or how about that fact that you took Crocea Mors without asking and went out, without telling anyone where you were going mind you, to track down and "Test yourself" against that group of boarbatusks I told your mother about last night?"

 _Does he really have to keep doing the air quotes?_ The thought flashed through Jaune's mind.

"Well see I…"

"What were you thinking!?"

His dad's shout almost made the young blonde jump. He could see by the way his father's hands had dropped to his side and curled into fists that he was upset.

"I'm sorry." Jaune said as sincerely as he could. "It was a stupid thing for me to do. I realize that now, and I swear I won't ever take such a pointless and stupid risk again."

Lionel Arc just stood there for a few seconds like a granite statue, silent and still, as he stared at his son.

Jaune cringed at what he was sure was going to happen next.

A moment later a large hand lashed out and grabbed Jaune by the shoulder and pulled him close, all in the blink of an eye.

The semi-retired huntsman wrapped his arms around the teen and lifted him off the ground and into into a bear hug that reminded him a little of the way the boarbatusk had nearly crushed him against the tree.

"What on Remnant were you thinking!?" He asked as he tried to squeeze the life out of his son.

"Dad! I. Can't. Breathe!" Jaune barley choked out the words.

"Huh? Oh sorry." The man said as he finally released his hold. Jaune stumbled on his feet a bit, swaying for a moment, before managing to regain his balance. "I was just so worried when you're mom used Jasmine's scroll to call me and told me what she was hearing from your scroll and that she was heading out to find you."

"I get it Dad. I know it was an idiotic thing to do. In fact that's actually what I've been thinking about since mom and I got back. I think I might have found out why I thought it was such as good idea in the first place." Jaune replied hoping to distract him.

It only took a few minutes to go over his theory on what had happened to his stats and what that might have done to him.

He explained about his raising his Wisdom stat and the new skill he had acquired as a result.

That went about as well as he could have expected.

He was pretty sure his own father shouldn't be laughing at him so...enthusiastically.

"Are you done yet?" Jaune asked hanging his head in shame after a few minutes had passed and the man had yet to show any sign of stopping.

"I'm sorry Jaune…" His dad choked out as he tried to cut himself off mid chuckle. He took a few deep breaths to bring himself under control. "So you...um...put your new…points you called them?"

"Yeah."

"Okay so you put your new points into your Wisdom attribute and you were just…smarter? Just like that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really smarter, it's more like I suddenly knew what to do with all the stuff I already knew." Jaune explained.

"And you can do that with your strength and speed too?"

"I tested it today. I almost doubled my strength stat by spending 4 points into it." Jaune was a little curious to see if he really was twice as strong as he was before. "Maybe I should do some more tests tomorrow, find out where I stand actual ability wise."

"Well that is, in fact, part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Lionel Arc crossed his arms in front of his chest again. "Tomorrow we start your training."

"What?" Jaune's father had never offered to train him in the past. In fact every time he had tried to bring up the topic, he had been told to to go talk to his mother which had immediately killed the whole idea.

"Your Mom and I have discussed it and we decided that if you are set on going to Beacon then it would be best to make sure you are as prepared as possible." His dad explained, all traces of humor gone. "The better prepared you are, the better we'll feel about you going."

The sound of a bell chiming drew Jaune's attention to the new screen that had just popped up.

 **... ... ... ... ...**

 **QUEST ALERT**

 **... ... ... ... ...**

 **Huntsmen Training: Train with Dad**

 **Jaune Arc's father wants to train his son to increase his chances of surviving his time at Beacon Academy. Train with Lionel Arc every day until Summer Vacation ends.**

 **Completion Reward: 2500 Exp & Decreased worry for Mother and Father.**

 **Failure Penalty: Increased Worry for Mother and Father**

 **Accept?**

 **[YES] [NO]**

 **... ... ... ... ...**

"So what do you say Jaune?" His dad asked.

"Absolutely." He shot back as he clicked [YES]. The panel disappearing with a second chime. "This is going to be great!"

# # #

"I hate this!" Jaune shouted diving to the side to avoid another throwing knife.

"Oh come on Jaune we've been over this…This is to help you improve your agility and to teach you the value of dodging." His father responded casually as he picked up another throwing knife from the pile beside him. "Besides it's not like these cause any permanent damage. You're a video game character now right?"

"That doesn't mean getting hit by one of those things doesn't hurt!" Jaune yelped as another dagger missed him by an inch.

Jaune had hoped that the training his dad offered was going to entail the two of them sparring, maybe going over advanced combat tactics. He'd said so the moment they had stepped out into the training field for the first time.

Not so much.

Instead he had been sent to do laps, followed up immediately by a variety of exercises meant to test his endurance and strength.

When Jaune had asked why they weren't actually working on improving his combat skills his Dad had simply replied with a dismissive.

"You're not ready."

Apparently starting with sparring would only get him hurt, his dad had explained later, as they were putting their equipment away, that he was better off training his body and practicing basic sword forms with a wooden training sword for a while so that when he finally did pick up a real blade again he wouldn't accidentally cut off something he might need later.

Jaune's response to that logic had been to take a knife off the table next to him and calmly stab himself in the leg.

At first Lionel had shouted in concern and rushed forward to check on his son, but when he saw there was no blood, just a glowing line surrounding the spot the knife was jutting from, the smile that lit up his face almost chilled Jaune to the bone.

Thus began "Agility Training" as with his Torturer (A.K.A Trainer, A.K.A Loving Father).

Three hours of his dad throwing sharp pointy objects at him while Jaune desperately tried to avoid being impaled.

His mother had only been outside to check on them once since they had started training over a week ago.

She had stepped outside to see how her son was doing…and stumbled upon the sight of him standing in the middle of a sand pit with two knives sticking out of torso screaming at his father to stop trying to hit him in the nipples.

She immediately turned around and calmly walked back inside without saying a word.

It had taken Dad hours to cheer her up after that, and to convince her that they weren't using her son's newly indestructible body as a living dart board.

It wasn't all bad though. They had made two significant discoveries thanks to his dad's method of "Training".

First, they had discovered that Jaune did in fact get tired.

It was during the first day when Jaune had been sent to run laps around the training yard. About thirty minutes in he had noticed that he was starting to sweat and was feeling slightly out of breath.

He had ignored it thinking he was just imagining things and kept moving forward only to find his body gradually starting to slow down over time. It eventually got so bad that Jaune had been unable to do more than simply walk forward, swaying side to side, like a drunken zombie.

He had recovered completely after a mere thirty minute rest.

Jaune had been of two minds about the experience. Being able to run and/or fight continuously with no need for breaks was great in theory, and Jaune was admittedly a little sad to find out that he was still susceptible to exhaustion, even if he recovered a lot faster than a normal person, but he was surprised to realize that a small part of him was actually happy to find out that he was still normal in some respects.

It made him him feel like he was still human.

The second discovery had come up in the middle of "Agility Training" on their 5th day of training. Jaune had just come out of a roll and had been surprised to see a notification box pop up.

 **[Dedicated training causes your AGI to go up by 1.]**

A quick check of his character screen confirmed that he now had an Agility [AGI] stat level of 6.

He could improve his stats through normal training!

This was a HUGE deal to him.

It meant he could get stronger without having to go find Grimm to fight.

It wasn't perfect. The fact that it took over 20 hrs of running the same drill to increase his stat by only 1 point proved that and he couldn't imagine that training like that would be as fast as leveling up normally would be, but if it could make a difference in the long run then it would be more than worth the extra time.

"You paying attention?" His dad yelled at him flinging another dagger his way.

Jaune saw it coming and with a quick swipe of his hand…

...missed it entirely and grunted as it buried itself in his stomach.

"Damn it." He grit my teeth and pulled it out tossing it back towards the pile at his dad's feet.

"Why do you keep trying to catch them?" Lionel sighed in exasperation.

"I'm a game character now. I should be able to do cool things like that." Jaune explained yet again. Just like he'd explained the last time the man had asked and the time before that.

"Really?"

 _Why does he doubt me like this?_

"Well – I mean why not?" Jaune shrugged as he watched the older Arc walk over to the bench they'd placed off to the side and pick up a towel that'd he'd left there earlier. A quick flick of the man's wrist sent it flying towards his face as fast as any of the training daggers.

Jaune scowled at him as he caught it before it could hit him only to get a polite little clap in return.

"I've discovered other skills by performing specific actions before, I figure if I catch enough of them my gamer ability might just turn it into a skill I can use."

"Hmmm…." Dad stroked his chin as he took a seat on the bench. "You say its happened before? Give me an example."

"Well one of the first was my [Observe] Skill." Jaune offered trying to think of something non-combat related. "I was just examining Crocea Mors and that was enough to trigger it."

"What does it do?"

"It gives me information on anything I can see. Just a basic description on what the object is, what it's used for, and other stuff like that. But that's just normal everyday items like this towel." He looked down at the towel in his hand. " _ **Observe**_."

 **... ... ... ... ...**

 **Old Cotton Towel**

 **Just a normal cotton towel that's seen better days. Used to clean up messes and dry off the wielder.**

 **... ... ... ... ...**

He read the screen out loud for his dad's benefit.

"But with living things it's a bit different. I used [observe] on those Grimm last week and it gave me their level, type, and some basic info about their abilities."

"That's an impressive skill you have there." He said with a firm nod. "What about me?"

"What about you?" Jaune asked confused.

"What does it say about me?"

Jaune just stared at him for a moment. He hadn't used [observe] on him before, He hadn't used it on anything living since those Grimm.

"Let's see." He told him focusing on the man in question. " _ **Observe.**_ "

... ... ... ... ...

 **NAME: LIONEL ARC**

 **CLASS: ?**

 **LEVEL: ?**

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP: 3010/3010**

 **MP: ?**

... ... ... ... ...

 **STR: ? END: ? AGI: ?**

 **INT: ?** **WIS: ?** **LCK: ?**

... ... ... ... ...

His HP was so much higher than Jaune's!

 _Is that because he's a higher level?_

Unfortunately, the rest of his stats were missing so he couldn't really tell. Were they being hidden for some reason?

 **[Through continuous use the [Observe] skill level has increased by 1.]**

 _Another level of [observe]!_

Added to all the level ups he'd gotten from using that skill on random objects all week whenever possible, that brought it up to level 10.

 _Will I be able to see more inf…_

There is was. Just like with the boarbatusks.

His father now had a name tag floating above his head.

 **[?] Lvl ? Lionel Arc**

"Hmmm that is interesting." His father said when he finished explaining what it was he was seeing. "So you can't see my level?"

"Nope, and all your stats are the same: three question marks." Jaune told him after using [observe] on him again just to be certain, shrugging his shoulders to show him he had no idea what that was about.

"Perhaps they're hidden for a reason." Lionel suggested trying to help.

"I guess so." It was the only explanation Jaune could think of. "Maybe the gap between our levels is too high? Maybe my observe skill level is simply too low to see that information?" He shrugged.

"Well put it out of your mind for now Jaune." His dad told him pulling his great sword from his back.

Jaune did so and picked up his training sword as well.

"What drill are we going to do today?"

"No drills." The reply surprised him. "It's about time for me to see your fighting style."

"Really!?" Jaune asked excited.

"Yes really." The man replied with a smile.

 _It's about time!_

This was fantastic! Jaune had been itching to see how he would fair in a real spar. He didn't for a second think he actually stood a chance at winning, his dad was way too experienced and strong to lose to someone like him, but he was anxious to see how well he stacked up against someone like his father.

If he could get to the point where he could at least defend himself at least for a bit, he could just imagine where that would put him skill wise among the other huntsmen and huntresses in training at Beacon.

"But before we do that…we need to take care of something." His thoughts were interrupted.

"What's that?" he asked confused.

"We need to unlock your aura."

"My aura?" He asked staring at his father more than a little confused. "What's that?"

Jaune's question seemed to shock the man, his eyes going wide and the point of the sword in his hand falling to hit the dirt.

"Jaune what do you mean 'What's that?'?" He asked.

"…"

"Jaune are you telling me, you were going to show up to Beacon Academy. The BEST and most FAMOUS school for combat training in the four kingdoms…without even knowing what aura is?"

"Umm…Maybe?".

"I can'….I mean who in their right mind would…Jaune come here." He said gesturing with his hand for his son to approach.

The young huntsmen in training did so quickly, hoping to find out what the big deal was.

"OW!" He shouted instead, stumbling forward from a smack upside the back of his head. "Why'd you do that!?"

"What the hell were you thinking!?" His dad replied, forcing Jaune to take a step back in shock. "Do you have any idea what could have happened?"

"I'm sorry?" Jaune said hesitantly. What else was he supposed to do? It's not like he knew that "aura" was something he needed before now.

"Jaune ALL Combat Academies in the world have one thing in common in regards to how they teach their students." Lionel pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "It's actually regarded as something of a tradition these days, or more accurately, a rite of initiation."

"Okay?"

"They all start with some kind of test that allows them to determine teams and team leaders…and they all include some form of real combat against _**real**_ Grimm."

He made sure to look Jaune in the eye to stress his point.

"Jaune the teachers don't usually interferre, not unless they feel the student is in imminent danger." His dad's grip on his weapon tighten noticeably. "Without your aura unlocked...a single blow from a Grimm could have killed you before any of the instructors would have even known to act."

Jaune took a moment to absorb that information. No wonder his dad was so upset. He was scared. Scared FOR him.

"Dad, I've never heard the word aura before." He tried to explain, at least so his dad would know he hadn't been intentionally putting himself in harm's way.

"I don't even understand how that is possible; Between Me, Your Mom, Hazel…How could you not have heard at least one of us mention it in passing?" That question came out more curious than concerned.

"I don't know." Jaune admitted. "Wait – I think Mom mentioned something about aura when she–."

"Didn't you study or read anything on huntsmen before applying to Beacon?" His dad interrupted.

"Well not really." The teen replied. "I figured I could catch up once I got there."

He received a raised eyebrow at that as if to say "and what else?"

"Plus I was worried that if Mom caught me reading any books about combat or Grimm she would…well you know." Jaune looked down at his shoes. It was only now that he could look back at his previous plan for entering Beacon, without any knowledge or preparation, and cringe.

Naive didn't even begin to accurately describe him.

His dad gave a heavy sigh and shook his head.

"No use lamenting about past mistakes at this point Jaune." He said, laying his hand on his son's shoulder for a moment to let him know it was okay. "All we should focus on now is fixing what we can and moving forward."

His words bolstered the younger Arc's confidence, which he showed by nodding his head firmly.

"So aura." The explanation started. "In the simplest of terms, Aura is energy. An energy produced by our souls that flows outwards throughout our bodies and gifts us with many benefits we would otherwise not possess."

"Like what?" Jaune asked in a whisper. This sounded so cool.

"Well it's most basic function is to act like a shield. It surrounds us in a barrier that, while normally invisible to the naked eye, protects us from harm by deflecting most types of damage."

"It's like a force field?" Was the first thing that sprang to mind. Jaune grimaced as he saw his dad's eye twitch for a second.

"Yes Jaune. It's like a force field."

"Can it do anything else?"

"It also empowers us a bit, enhancing our strength and speed beyond what we would normally be capable of." He paused for a moment as if considering something. "There's more, but you'll learn about the rest at beacon. For now, we should just get your aura unlocked so you can see what it's like for yourself."

"How do we unlock it?" There was a bit of trepidation in Jaune's voice.

"Oh don't worry it won't hurt at all."

His words did not reassure the teen at all.

 _Why is he grinning like that?_

 _..._

 **To Be Continued…**

...

 **Author's Note:** Okay there we go Chapter 2. Please let me know what you guys think. From now on I will be placing an updated STAT sheet at the bottom of each chapter that I hope will help everyone keep track of Jaune's development. I'm also considering uploading a Skill Page every 4 or 5 chapters to give everyone a reference so they can see what skills Jaune has, what they do, and what their level is at that point in the story. I will upload them at the the same time as I update a chapter so there will be no "Awww I thought this was going to be an actual chapter" moments. Please let me know how you all feel about that.

 **Jaune's Stats:**

 **NAME:** JAUNE ARC

 **CLASS:** THE GAMER

 **LEVEL:** 6

... ... ... ... ...

 **HP:** 390/390

 **MP (Locked):** 0/0

... ... ... ... ...

 **STR:** 9 -[0]+

 **END:** 9 -[0]+

 **AGI:** 6 -[0]+

 **INT:** 6 -[0]+

 **WIS:** 10 -[0]+

 **LCK:** 5 -[0]+

... ... ... ... ...

 **Points:** 0

 **Lien:** $30


End file.
